District 9 Isn't Your Father's Heavy-Handed Race Metaphor
This is a trailer for a movie called District 9 and it looks great, you guys.
Whoa. That is nuts looking. Apparently District 9 has had an on-going viral marketing campaign for awhile. Who knew? (You can't fire me because you cannot fire someone who has already quit.) The official website is pretty well put together and a good time waster if you have some time that needs wasting.
Aliens have historically been the film world's stand-in for the philosophical "Other," and by philosophical "Other," I of course mean blacks and Hispanics. This is what you learn in a freshman survey course on cultural anthropology. That's right, I'VE BEEN TO COLLEGE! Jealous? So setting the whole thing in South Africa is pretty clever and/or bold. Neil LaBute is so jealous right now. "Aw, no fair! I should have set Lakeview Terrace in South Africa. And made Samuel L. Jackson a sociopathic alien. Boo hoo hoo, I hate women." Alan Ball is so jealous right now. "Aw, no fair! I should have set True Blood in South Africa. And made the gay-metaphor vampires be race-metaphor aliens. And made it not one of the worst shows on television. Boo hoo hoo, I'm sorry about American Beauty."
Seriously, though, let's see this, you guys. Right? Right.
Posted by Gabe at 4:15 PM
Tags: District 9
please say you weren't joking about quitting...
Score = -33
Good comment. Very critical.
Score = 9
I don't want to start a flame war, but racism is like really, really bad.
Score = 8
speaking of racism.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RXouEACwI8
"Where white people and black people buy furniture. and hispanics too. and all people."
HUH?!
Score = -7
Bah! You went to college in the 70s. That hardly counts as an education.
Score = 21
YEA... i was one of the dorks trying to figure out the district 9 website a few months back. WHAT'S IT TO YOU?
WANNA MAKE SOMETHING OF IT?
but... um... anyway, this looks pretty good.
Score = 1
Am I lame for wanting to see this? I love non-American-centric sci-fi.
Score = 13
True Blood must be pretty awful, based on what i've read on this site. i think i'm going to have to check it out. i also love that there are ads for it all over this videogum at the moment. double reverse psychology advertising? whatever. i'm tivo'ing that shit.
oh. and this movie looks awesome.
Score = 9
Metaphor or no, you'd think the aliens would be smart enough to pick somewhere better to settle than the slums of Johannesburg.
Score = 9
How about Cleveland?
Score = 9
so now the mockumentary is taking over action movies?
Score = 1
D-9 is based on the short Alive in joburg: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZ1vHRs_EOs
Score = 1
Don't hate on "American Beauty"! It's the most beautiful thing ever seen!!!
Score = 1
Isn't this just a re-hash of Alien Nation?
I actually thought it looked good until they blurred out the alien's face. On purpose.
Score = 1
Um, how could it be a rehash of Alien Nation? No one is getting drunk off of spoiled milk. Come on, Mcluskyist, use yr head!
Score = 7
Right.
Score = 0
I think it's just set in South Africa because the director is South African.
Score = 1
and apartheid and all that. it works. IT WORKS.
and Gabe, you're pretty racist against metaphors. you need some sensitivity training.
Score = 3
You need some what are you talking about? training.
Score = 7
all I'm saying is - did you ever meet a metaphor you didn't immediately hate?
Score = 4
I don't hate metaphors. I just think that most of them are lazy, and they don't work.
Score = 9
I see what you did there. and it's really fucked up.
but a good metaphor - so I guess you win?
Score = 4
Visual effects guy: "I'm really bad at drawing alien faces, can we just blur it out or something?"
Score = 22
That or no-one noticed until post production that the alien's face looks exactly like a vagina.
Score = 12
It hurts me on the insides when you take bitter little pokes at things that I like. Such as American Beauty. Please don't.
Score = 7
COMING SOON ON STEREOGUM.COM: A Comprehensive List Of Things We Absoutely Cannot Make Fun Of Anymore Because Drew Likes Them
Score = 12
I liked it too. I wouldn't say it's great, but no one needs to apologize for it.
Score = 2
blurred-out alien face FTW
Score = -1
yup. Alien Nation 2-- This time, it"s ponderous...
Score = -1
eta: should have been a reply to Mcluskyist
Score = -2
wait, how is it bold setting the flick in ZA?
Score = -1
"Boo hoo hoo, I hate women." = LOLz for literally minutes. Minutes! Neil LaBRUTE more like it HA. HA. HA. please do Friends & Neighbors as WMOAT. Actually, don't. Let's just let it die.
Score = 0
south african accents AND aliens?
this is going to be the best.
seriously.
Score = 1
Not to pull the "Post-Colonial Deconstruction" card, but ....
South Africa=Africa and aliens=white people.
Score = 1
Neil Blomkamp is the man. You may not know him now, but he's going to be a household name one of these days.
Score = -1